Impact of Medicare Payment Reductions For "Overpriced" Surgical Procedures on Utilization and Access

This project evaluated a policy change in Medicare's physician payment which substantially reduced fees paid for certain "overpriced" surgical procedures. The study examined whether observed changes in utilization were the result of the policy change and assessed the impact on access for vulnerable populations (very old, black and rural beneficiaries). The research was intended to provide policy-makers with an indication of how physicians will respond to Medicare's new physician payment mechanism (the RBRVS), due to be phased in between October 1992 and January 1996.